The present invention relates to a knee-bag and an occupant leg protection apparatus including the knee-bag. The knee-bag restrains legs and a lower body of an occupant for protecting the knees against an impact on an instrument panel in front of a seat in case of an automobile crash.
An occupant leg protection apparatus prevents occupant legs from hitting against an instrument panel in front of a seat and receiving a heavy load in case of a frontal crash of a high-speed moving body such as an automobile. Such an occupant leg protection apparatus includes a knee-bag to be inflated in front of the occupant leg and an inflator (gas generator) for inflating the knee-bag.
Japanese Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2003-182504 discloses an occupant leg protection apparatus with a knee-bag including a tether connecting a cloth on an occupant side and a cloth on an instrument panel side of the knee-bag. In the occupant leg protection apparatus, the tether restricts a thickness of the inflated knee-bag. In order to evenly restrain both legs of the occupant, it is preferable that the thickness of the knee-bag become substantially uniform in a lateral direction (from one side to the other side of the knee-bag in the lateral direction) when the knee-bag is inflated.
In order to make the thickness of the inflated knee-bag substantially uniform in the lateral direction, the tether may have a large width in the lateral direction and extend continuously in the lateral direction (extending from one side to the other side of the knee-bag in the lateral direction). When the tether has a large width in the lateral direction, the knee-bag has a small air-flow space therein, thereby reducing an inflation rate of the knee-bag. When the tether has a large width in the lateral direction, an opening may be provided in the middle of the tether in the lateral direction to form an air-flow space. However, it takes time and cost to provide such an opening.
In view of the problems described above, an object of the present invention is to provide a knee-bag having a uniform thickness in a lateral direction when inflated and capable of being inflated rapidly, and an occupant leg protection apparatus including the knee-bag.
Further objects and the advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.